Governments identify dozens of Android apps bundled with spyware.
NCSC and partners share guidance for communities at high risk of digital surveillance
Apps hiding malicious functions collect data – including location, audio and camera – which could facilitate surveillance and harassment.
And nowhere to be found is an actual list of affected apps - only a couple examples.
Great job, NCSC 🤨👍
Isn't every app that's not open source assumed to be spyware nowadays?
Wake me up when this sort of thing is actually illegal. Preferably punishable with jail time.
This isn’t that. This isn’t “let us collect data on you so we can aggregate it and monetize it, it’s buried in the EULA.”
This is state-sponsored actual malware being used to identify, target, track specific individuals.
install app
"Do you agree to share your information with 289 of our partners or opt out by going through a list and deselecting them one by one"?
Yeah any app that asks this is guaranteed spyware.
Also, use F-Droid as much as possible. It's not perfect but still miles better than the play store
Even Aurora store vets all the apps for trackers. Google just take the money and serve up malware.
At least these days it's farily obvious when an app is looking at your location or listening in with the mic.
F-Droid is my go-to for anything possible. If I find something I can selfhost and has an app, I make sure the app can be found in F-Droid (or even just an APK shipped in the repo that can be managed with Obtainium), or else I lose interest.
